dumpling

A dumpling is a small piece of dough wrapped around a filling, or a portion of dough that encloses or encases something. The dough is typically made from wheat flour and water, with variations that include eggs or starch. Fillings can be meat, seafood, vegetables, or sweets. Dumplings are prepared by boiling, steaming, frying, or baking and are commonly served with dipping sauces such as soy sauce, vinegar, or chili oil.

Across cultures, dumplings take many forms. Chinese varieties include jiaozi (crescent-shaped, usually boiled or steamed), and the steamed buns called baozi; wontons are folded wrappers often boiled in soup. In East and Southeast Asia, mandu (Korean), momo (Nepalese and Tibetan), and other regional styles are common. In Central and Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, pierogi, varenyky, pelmeni, and khinkali are popular, typically boiled or pan-fried and filled with potatoes, cheese, meat, or mushrooms. Pasta-based dumplings such as Italian ravioli or tortellini are wrappers of pasta surrounding fillings and are usually boiled.

Other well-known examples include Japanese gyoza, a pan-fried or steamed dumpling; Polish pierogi (also boiled and sometimes fried); Georgian khinkali, large dumplings with meat filling; and Filipino siomai. Dumplings can be savory or sweet, and some cultures prepare dumplings as desserts with fruit or sweet cheese fillings.

The term "dumpling" covers a broad range of foods that share the basic concept of dough enclosing a filling. Although origins vary, dumplings are a pervasive feature of many culinary traditions worldwide, reflecting diverse ingredients, wrappers, and cooking techniques.